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May Day and the Flemish Roots of ‘The Internationale’
30 April 2021
Just about the whole world celebrates International Workers’ Day on 1 May. On that day, ‘The Internationale’, the socialist anthem, is heard across the nations. Few people, however, realise that this hymn was composed by Ghent-born Pierre De Geyter. He grew up in Lille, a city at the northern
In Joe Biden’s Bible, You Can Read a History of the Low Countries
1 February 2021
The performance of the young poet Amanda Gorman was not the only remarkable thing about Joe Biden’s inauguration. The Bible on which the 46th president of the United States swore his oath was also noteworthy. The large, heavy book has a four-hundred-year history that reaches back to a biblical tra
Charles V, the Man Who Bought the Emperorship
22 October 2020
Exactly 500 years ago on 23 October, Charles V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor, much to his French rival Francis I’s chagrin. Charles’ coronation marked the beginning of a long series of conflicts between – what were then considered – the ultimate European superpowers.
Gates Foundation Finances Leuven University Research for Coronavirus Treatment
26 March 2020
In the search to find a cure for the Coronavirus, The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has sent 15,000 medicinal molecules to Leuven University’s Rega Institute; this research cannot be carried out any faster or safer than there.
The Battle of the Bulge Sealed Nazi Germany’s Fate
13 December 2019
On 16 December 1944, the Germans launched their last major western offensive campaign of World War II. Operation Mist, better known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, took place in the densely forested Ardennes region of Belgium and was intended to split the Allied forces and re-
75 Years Ago the Nazis Took Revenge on the Allies with the V1 and V2
9 October 2019
During the liberation at the beginning of September 1944, most Belgians thought the war would be over by the end of the year. They didn’t realize that the Germans were still holding secret weapons: the V1 and V2 rockets. Exactly 75 years ago, on 13 October 1944, the first V1 fell on Antwerp. This
The Treaty of Versailles: Harbinger of Peace and Source of Frustration
26 June 2019
On 28 June 1918, exactly one hundred years ago, the treaty that would finally end World War I was signed in Versailles. That peace treaty would redraw the map of Europe. Belgium, which had suffered greatly during the war, left for Versailles with a heart full of hope, but was forced to leave nearly
Belgium and the Netherlands Officially Divorced 180 Years Ago
17 April 2019
On 19 April, Belgium officially celebrates its 180th anniversary. This is not entirely correct, because of course Belgium was founded as early as 1830, when, after a revolution, it separated itself from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1830). But with the signing of the Treaty of London o
